Darin Bastedo Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 (edited) When I was a young lad with my freshly earned chore money burning a hole in my pocket I wandered into Carl's Drug store in Liverpool NY and spied a most beautiful sight. A Revell 1957 chevy kit, with what had to be the most stunning 57 Chavy Nomad ever built on the box art. The car, Sam Hollingsworth's Nomad, Caught my eye. In my young and foolish mind, I pictured a miniature of that car on the self in my bedroom. The kit had it all, opening doors, hood, tailgate, steerable wheels, fuel injected engine, Man! This car was going to be a masterpiece! As anyone who has built this kit knows, I was as likely to build a masterpiece from that kit as I was to have Mr. Hollingsworth drive up to my door, and toss me the keys and the title to the real car. Decades have passed since that initial dissappointment But the desire to build a replica of that car has never faded. Unfortunately there has never been a good 1/25 scale model of a 57 Chevy Nomad. The Monogram kit was as ill proportioned as the Revell kit was difficult to build, and AMT never saw fit to kit one. Fast Foward to 2010 and lo and behold Revell, the source of my initial disappointment released a 1957 belair kit. When Revell first annouced that they were releasing a 57 chevy many cried out "Who needs another 57 Chevy" Why couldn't we get a kit of a 1976 Chevoldsmobuick, something we don't already have. But for me I saw this as a great opportunity. I knew it would be based off the same tooling as their 55 and 56 chevy kits, which includes a 1956 Nomad. I concluded that it would be a simple cut and swap to create a 1957 Nomad using the roof and other parts from the 56 and adapting them to the 57. Pictured below is some shots of a clone of the original as the originl was lost in a towing accident. Below is the start of my replica... I fond a really nice set of Riviera wires in the the stragest of places, In the Corvette America 4 door Corvette kit from monogram. the hardest part will be the paint job but with careful masking I think I can do it. Edited March 30, 2011 by Darin Bastedo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camaroman Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Great start, Darin. i will be watching this one to see were it goes!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 A great story to go with this! ... my eyes are open ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darin Bastedo Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Hey Custom Car guys...any body here have good engine comaprtment pics of the original car (not the clone.) I'. looking to see what was chromes and what was painted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillyb1 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Enough about the car. Tell us about the "Exclusive Record Offer Inside." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 This build looks interesting and worth watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Models by Bear Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Being a Chevy guy and this is my dream car I will be watching this build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Carr Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 (edited) Always loved that car! Have fun with this build. Edited October 13, 2010 by Jon Carr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuel Coupe Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Darin, This is fantastic. I have plans to do a replica of my nomad and will be watching yours transform. If you need any candid shots or measurements please feel free to contact me as I have a 57 nomad sitting in my garage as we speak. good luck and I'll be watching for updates.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyou5 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 This looks very interesting, I will be watching this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codie27 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 looks like its gonna be a good one.I'll be watching for more!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darin Bastedo Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Nice job Darin. I'm actually concidering doing a version of that car myself using an original issue AMT '57. The last issue of Rodder's Journal has a feature on the car and I'm pretty shure it has at least one engine shot of the original with the fulie engine. You may still be able to get a copy from a well stocked magazine store. I have the rodders journal with it in it, and I also have the Rod & Custom that featured it. I have a copy of the May 1967 Rod and custom that has the original in it. I was just hoping that some of the old timers here might have some shots of their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darin Bastedo Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 During a conversation with Steve Zimmerman I realised I never told anywone how I converted the Revell 57 Belair to a Nomad. I actually have several tri-5 chevy project that are in the works as part of my Frugal kitbashing efforts. I call it frugal kitbashing because from 7 kits i will make 6 models. these projects include... 1. The Sam Hollingsworth 57 Nomad 2. 1957 Chevy Convertible 3. 1956 Convertible Custom 4. 1955 Nomad 5. 1955 2 door post coupe 6. 1957 black widow street machine The Revell 55,56,and 57 chevies all share the same basic tooling, as did the real cars, making swaping out features from one kit to the other very easy , where the AMT 57 chevy and the amt 55 chevy were completey different tools and required a lot of adjustment to make the roof of one fit the other for intance. Back when kits were $5 we didn't think twice about just hacking away what we didn't need from one body and using the rest of the kit for parts, but now in the age of 20-25 dollar kits we need to be more frugal. I marked each body with the same cut lines and cut them as if I was cutting out a door, removing as little material as nessesary to release the part. Note that I added the tab from the bottom of the trunk area from the 57 belair kit, to the tailgate area of the nomad part. This allows the Nomad Body to sit correctly on the 57 Chevy frame and ensures that all your parts will line up. The upper body line on the nomad is flat on the top as opposed to the dip in the other bodies. You will vae to swap this over too. After carefully cutting each area free they will simply glue right back in the place on the other body. Not only does this allow you to do existing versions but you can do ones that were never made, like a Black widow Nomad with base trim and interior, a black widow convertible, etc. Use your imagination and most of all have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuel Coupe Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Nice Darin!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2002p51 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Hey Custom Car guys...any body here have good engine comaprtment pics of the original car (not the clone.) I'. looking to see what was chromes and what was painted. Darin, I have the issue of The Rodder's Journal" that featured that car. Send me an e-mail reminder and I'll scan the engine photos for you and give you any other information you need. Drew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darin Bastedo Posted October 13, 2010 Author Share Posted October 13, 2010 Darin, I have the issue of The Rodder's Journal" that featured that car. Send me an e-mail reminder and I'll scan the engine photos for you and give you any other information you need. Drew I already have that issue of the rodders journal, you wouldn't happen to have the May 1967 Rod & Custom That featured the original car would you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewaskew Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 (edited) There are others out there that may be thinking [ not another 57 chevy] but from what I see here there are still a lot of people who do like them. I will keep up with this one also. When you do that paint job,can you show some step by step photos ? From start to finish of coarse.LOL I have some 1/12 57's and I'm thinking of building a nomad out of one of those. Keep up the good work. Edited October 13, 2010 by ewaskew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher61 Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Darin, I like where this is going! I'm one who could never have enough tri-fives in my collection! I'd like to also see a new '57 Nomad based on this tooling along with a '57 convertible and a proper '56 Belair hardtop. I remember seeing a magazine a long time ago with the Hollingsworth Nomad featured, as I recall it had the later smooth-top Vette FI plenum, chrome radiator core support, radiator splash pan, and I think [not 100%] that the inner fender wells were chromed as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darin Bastedo Posted October 23, 2010 Author Share Posted October 23, 2010 Well the bodywork is almost done. I still have to fill the firewall as there are two huge slots for the hood hinges. I've decided to use the photo etched hood hinges out of the Trumpeter 1960 Pontiac bonneville, as I'm buiding that kit as a custome and will design my own higes for that. There are still a few small imperfections in the body that I will deal with tonight. after that it will be off to the paint shop for the base coat and some clear to protect it. As i dive deeper into this kit, I just keep finding more and more to like about it. The Revell 57 chevy kit has the best bumpers I've ever seen! why you ask?, because they finally listened to us and put the attachment points and mold seams where they do not show, meaning smooth chrome with out having to sand it and alclad it oor send it out to be rechromed. Kudos Revell! It's almost a shame to have to cut up the rear bumper to make a correct nomad one, but it has to be done. Another thing I found is a cheap soucer for photo-etch for this kit. The last swap meet I was at the AMT Pro Shop version of there new tool 57 chevy sold for an average of $10 and with a little triming the photo-etch from this kit works on the Revell 57 chevy. I'll mostly be using the hood V and windshield wipers, from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mageckman Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Is it just me or does the body look a little short? I am not knocking your conversion Darin, I think it looks great, but it just looks as if the body is short or at least it does to me in the first picture in the last post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darin Bastedo Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Is it just me or does the body look a little short? I am not knocking your conversion Darin, I think it looks great, but it just looks as if the body is short or at least it does to me in the first picture in the last post. 57 chevie's look wierd with out their bumpers on. the front and rear bumpers add quite a bit of length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mageckman Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 That might be it. It might also just be the angle of the pic as well. It could also be the missing window pillars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darin Bastedo Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share Posted October 26, 2010 I just completed what I thought was going to be the toughest part of the conversion, the modifications to the rear bumper. the buper I had to replicate is shown below.... I thought I would have to scratch build the bumper guards on either side of the licence plate, but lo and behold the 56 Chevy Nomad Bumper had ones that if not exacts were so close as to seem identicle, so I cut the 57 Chevy Bumper into three sections, removing enough material to make up for the addition of the Bumper guards, and glued it all together. Thankfully the bumper came out symetrical, and the mounting posts still lined up pefectly with the holes in the body. Now all that is left is to strip it and send it along with a few other parts off to be plated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher61 Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 This is the best looking 1/25 scale Nomad I have ever seen! It looks like a work of art even in an unfinished state! You know when you get this finished, Revell will probably do it in kit form! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumbler75 Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Stunning execution! It looks so natural and made that way. Xcellent work! I can't wait to see more. The rear bumper looks real good. Keep up the excellent work. I'm watching for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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